and the methods of handling, marketing, and grading rice in Louisiana, Texas, Arkansas, and South Carolina.

During the fiscal year ending June 30, 1913, it is planned to extend very materially the investigations on rice and to take up the commercial grading and handling of kafir.

GRAIN INVESTIGATIONS.

The general adaptation, breeding, and other work on grains has continued under the immediate charge of Mr. M. A. Carleton.

WINTER-WHEAT EXTENSION.-Experiments with winter wheat continue to give good results, and the area devoted to winter-w! eat growing has been extended considerably to the north and west by the use of hardier strains, such as the Kharkof. The annual production of this variety alone in the United States is now about 20,000,000 bushels. Especially interesting results have been obtained the past year in the Judith Basin of Montana and in eastern Oregon. A circular discussing winter wheat for western South Dakota has been issued.

DURUM WHEAT.-The most important feature in relation to durum wheat is the recent considerable increase in its use in this country. The exports are not now so large, indicating that with an annual production about the same as heretofore much more of this wheat is being used at home. In addition to its use for bread making it is now being employed much more extensively in the manufacture of breakfast foods. A number of such foods are made largely from durum wheat, and one of the most prominent breakfast-food companies in the United States is now using this wheat entirely.

Experiments have been continued with some promise of success with the purpose of producing a winter variety. Through hybridization new strains have also been developed that are beardless, an important character for the farmer.

OTHER CROPS IN ROTATION WITH CEREALS.-In addition to the usual success obtained with cereals following other crops, such as legumes and rye plowed under green, especially interesting results were noted at Chico, Cal. Land which had been cropped for three years with alfalfa (1907-1909) and on which corn was grown in 1910 was sown with Chul wheat following the corn and in 1911 gave a yield of 87 bushels per acre. The same wheat sown on ground that had been continuously cropped with grain for three years produced 30 bushels

per acre.

INFLUENCE OF ENVIRONMENT ON THE COMPOSITION OF GRAIN.-Several new experiments to determine the influence of environment have been started the past season. In all experiments of this kind undertaken recently only pedigreed seed is being used-that is, seed that has been increased from a single mother plant, so that the most accurate results possible may be obtained. Results continue to show a greater influence of climate than of soil on the composition of the transferred seed.

TIME AND RATE OF SEEDING GRAIN.-Most of the experiments relating to the time and rate of seeding grain indicate that the best rate of seeding is a little less in every locality than that which is commonly 23165°-AGR 1911- -19

practiced and that the date of fall seeding in many localities should be a little later than that generally chosen.

WINTER EMMER. Recent investigations of winter emmer have shown the important fact that it may be much improved in hardiness. A particular strain has been developed from a few plants surviving the winter several years ago in northern Wyoming which has remained completely winter resistant, though during the winter of 1909-10 the temperature fell to -20° F. It now remains to be determined whether this improved strain will survive in the same latitude east of the Rocky Mountains.

The value of emmer as a drought-resistant feeding crop is becoming realized, and much popular interest in winter varieties has been awakened. Some very good results with Black Winter emmer have been obtained at the experiment farms.

EXPERIMENTS WITH PROSO.-Particular attention has been given to experiments with the large-seeded Russian millet correctly known as proso. The indications are that this crop will succeed under conditions and in localities heretofore unsuspected. Particularly good results were obtained under irrigation at Huntley, Mont., in cooperation with the Office of Western Agricultural Extension. However, at the same place the same varieties were also very successful under dry-farming methods. Proso has done well at almost all northwestern experiment farms. The Black Voronezh variety is uniformly the best.

DRY-LAND GRAIN INVESTIGATIONS.-The extremely severe drought in the Great Plains, from western North Dakota to western Oklahoma, has given an unusual opportunity the past season for showing the superiority of drought-resistant cereals. The hard winter wheats have done especially well in comparison with the softer varieties, while the Swedish Select oat, the Ghirka spring wheat, and several varieties of barley have shown much superiority over other less resistant cereals. The number of experiments to determine the best time and rate of seeding dry-land grains and the best methods of cultivation have been considerably increased. New grain-experiment farms have been established in cooperation with the State stations at Downey, Idaho, and Burns, Oreg.

OAT INVESTIGATIONS.-Experiments for the purpose of developing hardier winter varieties of oats have been continued with still better results. Progress has been made in the development of new strains intended to resist lodging. In hybrids of Sixty-Day and Kherson oats with other varieties several strains appear to be smut resistant; some also appear to be more resistant to rust than other varieties.

The Swedish Select oat, introduced by this department, continues to show its good qualities in the Northern States, about five-eighths of the total crop of Wisconsin, or 50,000,000 bushels annually, being of this variety. The Sixty-Day, another introduction, has done equally well in other portions of the country.

BARLEY INVESTIGATIONS.-Investigations of barley are conducted under the immediate direction of H. B. Derr and Harry V. Harlan. Experiments with Arlington, the new awnless winter barley, have progressed with considerable success. Seed of this hybrid has been

sent to all of the State experiment stations in the South and West where winter barley would be likely to succeed and excellent results have been reported from many localities. Owing to its high stooling qualities this variety gives promise of being very productive.

From about 60 different forms of pedigreed barley sown at each of five points in the North and West some interesting facts were learned, but particularly at the cooperative experiment farm at Moccasin, Mont. In one group every selection was promising, the six strains all possessing characters in common.

About 400 pedigreed strains and several hundred hybrids are under experiment at St. Paul, Minn., in cooperation with the State station. The Swan Neck variety is gradually becoming acclimated and did especially well the past year in Minnesota. From a hybrid of the South African crossed with the Manchuria variety results have been obtained showing a striking reversion to ancestral characters.

GRAIN-SORGHUM INVESTIGATIONS.-The work with the dry-land grain-sorghum crops has been continued under the immediate charge of Mr. Carleton R. Ball. The season of 1910 was a severe one in much of the grain-sorghum belt. Such a condition following the drought of 1909 enabled the new dwarf and early strains to show their superiority over the taller and later sorts. In spite of the intense drought the yields were larger than in 1909, due to thinner stands, which emphasizes the need of insuring against crop loss from drought by planting thinly each year a part of the area grown in these crops. Improved strains distributed by this bureau produced the only crops grown by many new settlers in the Southwest.

RICE INVESTIGATIONS.-The rice investigations under the direction of Mr. C. E. Chambliss have continued along lines already projected. In the Louisiana investigations much progress has been made in solving the problem of controlling red rice largely through proper crop rotations and thorough cultivation. During the year experiments with rice have been permanently established at Beaumont, Tex., where the investigations will be similar to those in Louisiana. In California experiments are being conducted at nine different points. Some unusually good results have been obtained. The results of investigations in Florida indicate that success may be obtained in rice cultivation without irrigation on the prairies now being settled.

CEREAL DISEASES.-In the cereal disease work in charge of Mr. Edward C. Johnson studies of the life history of rust have been continued. Several resistant hybrids adapted to Minnesota conditions have been established and the seed is being increased. Experiments for the purpose of improving methods in this type of breeding are in progress.

It has been demonstrated that the head smut of sorghum is not caused by external inoculation of the seed, as in stinking smut of wheat, or by local infection, as in corn smut, but is similar to that of the loose smuts of barley and wheat; that is, by infection at an early stage in the plant's life.

Rice diseases are being studied, particularly "straight head," which caused losses of 50 to 75 per cent of the crop on many piantations in Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas in 1910.

A special study has been commenced to determine the relations of the imperfect fungi in the soil and air to deterioration in yields of grain, the results of which should throw some light on soil-fertility problems and questions of crop rotations.

PACIFIC COAST INVESTIGATIONS.-In the investigations on the Pacific coast, under the direction of Mr. H. F. Blanchard, the Chul and Fretes varieties of wheat continue to make a better showing in yield than others commonly sown. Chul wheat yielded at the rate of 87 bushels per acre; Fretes, 76 bushels, and the common variety, White Australian, 60 bushels. All varieties made comparatively high yields.

In the time-of-planting experiments it was found that on welltilled soil December 15 is a better time for planting than November 1 to 15. The December planting gave as high a yield and a better quality of grain.

INVESTIGATIONS IN THE SOUTHERN STATES.-A rather thorough preliminary survey of conditions in the Southern States shows not only an increasing interest in the cultivation of grains, but also indicates the possibility of much improvement in varieties, methods of cultivation, rotations with other crops, the use of fertilizers, etc. Experiments are being undertaken in cooperation with State stations, as far as funds permit, to determine means of improvement in these conditions.

PLANS FOR THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR.-In addition to the continuation of ordinary lines of work the following subjects will be given special attention: More attention than heretofore will be given to the determination of the best crops to grow in alternation with cereals and to methods of cultivation. Further experiments will be conducted to determine the adaptation of varieties of proso (millet) to different sections and the best methods of handling the crop. In the investigations of durum wheat, kafir, and durra sorghums further tests of the flour from these grains for use as human food will be made. The value of winter rye and buckwheat in localities where these cereals are not now grown to any considerable extent will be determined. Considerable time will be given to the development of hardier winter strains of oats and barley. An important line of experiments will be undertaken with broom corn, and special attention will be given to the matter of the adaptation of kowliang sorghums to new areas. Rice experiments will be continued in Cali fornia, and further work will be undertaken in Arkansas and Florida, if funds available permit.

In cereal diseases further investigation will be made of the methods of preventing smuts of the small grains. The relation of imperfect fungi in the soil to deterioration in the yields of grains will be studied, further studies will be made of the sorghum smuts, and an effort will be made to obtain additional information on the life history of rusts.

Experiments will be undertaken to determine the varieties of cereals best adapted to the South, the proper rotations of other crops, and the best methods of cultivation.

CORN INVESTIGATIONS.

The work of the Office of Corn Investigations has continued under the direction of C. P. Hartley, with Ernest B. Brown, Curtis H. Kyle, L. L. Zook, and J. G. Willier in charge of field investigations

at series of points ranging from the southern to the northern portions of the United States. This arrangement insures a broad knowledge of the crop as affected by environment, and it also affords opportunity for each investigator to give personal attention to field experiments for almost the entire year. Better and more profitable corn crops is the object of this work, which is conducted with and for the farmer. By farmers who have observed the results of these investigations the work is highly appreciated, and applications for conducting cooperative corn work are largely from localities where experiments have been conducted. In each locality in which the best varieties and methods of breeding, seed preservation, and culture have been investigated, the yield and farmers' profits have been increased.

SUMMARY OF THE YEAR'S WORK.

The various lines of cooperative corn work have given both immediate and far-reaching results of great value. The breeding work and lines of special investigation conducted with breeders and growers bring the bureau in closest touch with the farmer, while the cooperative assistance rendered to corn improvers' associations, boys' corn clubs, industrial schools, and farmers' clubs gives the results of the investigations a much wider application than would otherwise be possible.

ORGANIZATION OF CORN-TESTING CLUBS.-By the organization of local clubs to test the productiveness and adaptation of varieties, demonstrations of much value are made possible at small cost. The organization of such clubs and of boys' competitive corn-growing clubs is strongly encouraged, and suggestions, record forms, and, wherever practicable, seed of some varieties for such tests are furnished.

COOPERATION WITH CORN BREEDERS.-Some of the high-yielding strains of corn described in last year's report and which have been improved by cooperative work with local corn breeders are now being grown and disseminated by a sufficient number of breeders to insure their distribution throughout districts to which they are adapted. In many localities in which it has not been possible for the bureau to attend to breeding work, sufficient assistance has been given local breeders to create an interest in corn improvement throughout the community.

EASY PROFITS FROM SEED PRESERVATION.-Last year extensive tests conducted by cooperators and accurate tests by the bureau showed that good seed preservation increased production to the extent of 5 bushels to the acre. The results are similar to those of other seasons in other localities and demonstrate that as a savings bank the seedcorn rack returns a large interest upon the investment. They also show that the effects of temperature and moisture upon dormant seed corn need further investigation.

CROSSBREEDING CORN.-The influence on yield of crossbreeding certain varieties is set forth in a recent bulletin, which covers the work of two years in four States. Of many first-generation crosses made and tested a few have proved much more productive than either parent.